ABSTRACT
Ethics is a process of formulating thought and action in accordance with a notion of a set of values. This chapter attempts to identify the concept of 'what is ethics' and demonstrates through case examples how different approaches to moral deliberation may assist clinicians working with people living with mental illnesses and dealing with addictions and chemical dependency syndromes. It then considers how descriptive ethics can be formulated and provides brief accounts of the most commonly applied normative ethical theories in mental health and drug and alcohol practice. Theories of ethics are either descriptive or normative. Descriptive ethical theories aim to define 'what is', whereas normative theories aim to define 'what should be'. By contrast, the grand normative theories of ethics, such as utilitarianism or deontic ethics, seek to generate 'nomothetic' (generalizable) accounts of moral philosophy. Normative ethical theories posit generalizable rules for moral conduct based upon core, inviolable assumptions.
